Chapter 134
Dominic’s POV
.ค. 2
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The papers were still warm from my hands when I walked down the corridor later that evening.
Isa had been home for a while now and we had even had dinner together, without Vittoria and Salvatore, of course. Even Alessia hadn’t cared to join, choosing to dine with my uncle and aunt separately instead.
But it didn’t really matter to me as long as they weren’t stirring up trouble for me.
When I reached Isa’s door, I slipped the papers in my hands inside from underneath the door.
It had become a routine I didn’t miss no matter what. I also didn’t skip a single detail.
Not because she demanded it.
Because I needed her to know.
Because transparency was the only bridge I had left.
Sure, she was talking more to me now than she had done in days, but I had a feeling I still had a long way to go before things went back to how they were before.
I was just about to turn and leave when I heard the sound of her footsteps.
Then, the handle turned.
The door opened.
I blinked.
Isabella stood there, hair loose over her shoulders, expression guarded but not closed.
Not shut down.
Not cold.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed seeing her eyes meet mine this willingly until that moment.
“Hi,” she said quietly.
The word felt like progress.
I picked up the pages and handed them to her instead. “Today’s.”
“I know,” she replied, taking them.
Silence lingered between us, not hostile, just uncertain.
19:42 Tue, Jun 9
Chapter 134
“Did Nico finally give you what you wanted?” she asked.
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I leaned lightly against the wall. I’d mentioned talking to him in my previous letters so she knew where things stood. “He’s talking.”
“And?”
I exhaled slowly. “And I’m starting to realize he doesn’t know as much as we thought.”
She frowned slightly.
“He knows about the leak. The pattern. The structure. But not the name.” My jaw tightened. “It seems only the Vitelli patriarch knows who the actual mole is.”
Isa absorbed that quietly.
“So Nico isn’t useful to you anymore,” she said evenly.
The implication wasn’t lost on me.
“No,” I admitted. “He isn’t.”
“And?”
“I’ll end it soon,” I said. “I can’t risk him escaping. Or being rescued.”
She nodded once. No judgment. No flinching.
“I understand.”
It struck me how much she had hardened, not cruel, but steady. She no longer looked away from the reality of my world. I realised that maybe all those letters had also helped make her more acquainted with the inner workings of my world, made it easier for her to accept what I did, and why I did it.
After a moment, I added, “What were you doing the other day?”
She stilled.
“Going out with Luca,” I clarified. “Meeting that woman.”
Her eyes sharpened, but she didn’t retreat.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said. “She ran.”
“What were you looking for?”
Isa hesitated.
“I was trying to find proof of something,” she said finally. “And I’ll tell you when I have it.”
My instincts bristled.
19:42 Tue, Jum 9
Chaprer 134
I fin’t like not knowing didn’t like her keeping things from me.
But I caught myself before the old reflex kicked in.
“Trust me the added quietly.
The landed
I held her gaze for a long moment.
Then nodded. “Alright”
The word cost me more than I showed
But if I wanted her trust, I had to give some, too.
130
The Vitellis have been too quiet when it comes to me. But I have a feeling that it’s mostly because they’ve been busy trying to find ways to sabotage you from what I’ve read in your letters so far,” she commented
I nodded. It was true. They’d been more active, yes, but I’d been vigilant, too. While it did keep me away for work longer than I wanted to, their attacks hadn’t been too worrisome so far.
I realised I liked this new version of us. One that could discuss things easily. I wished it would only get better
Autter silence settled between us then. But I didn’t want this conversation to be over. Not yet.
“Mateo’s birthday is coming up, I said.
Her expression shifted, turning warmer.
“The wld your she said,
“He did.” My mouth twitched. “He wants to bake a cake with you.”
She smiled faintly. “We do that every year
“He also said he doesn’t want anything grand.”
I nodded. “He values quality over quantity”
I huffed quietly. “I suggested something larger”
“I’m not surprised”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “He said he didn’t want it.”
“And you listened”
1942 Toe, Jon 9
That earned me a small look of approval.
There’s a rarion? I asked carefully, recalling Mateo’s words. “The cake.”
She studied me, reading between the lines.
“Yes” the und “We hake it together. Just us.”
I hesitated
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